VERTICAL HORIZON
by Estelle A. Glory
Summary: Strapped for good work and determined to make a name for herself, Lieutenant Astraea Sparrow accepts a questionable commission from a couple of old friends. Troubled by her past and a naval pariah, the young sailing master is grateful for a few, peaceful months in space. Little does she know that she is about to undergo a dangerous journey that will change her life forever.


Astraea sat on the chair's edge, back as straight and rigid as a forward mast. She stared into Sailing Master's, Deneb, face. Sixteen months she had spent aboard the RLS Ptolemaios as his assistant - sixteen months of mending his clothes, cataloging mountains of navigation schematics, updating vastly inaccurate and outdated solar charts, bringing his meals to and from the musty, cramped galley not even eating herself. Now this _prick_ didn't even have the sand to look her in the face, just kept fiddling with his corded rank and casting sideways glances at his Alponian First Mate. Clearly, he didn't want to tell her. Break it to her that her hard work counted to much to him as there is oxygen in deep space. That he would cheat her out everything she had worked for, but she wasn't about to make it easy for him.

Astraea heard the leather in her gloves crack and she lightened her grip. She wasn't about let this salty worm of plasma scum see her angry. He didn't deserve an minute of it. By the ending of this meeting she would have the last laugh.

Navigator Deneb cleared his throat for the hundredth time. "Ash..Litenaunt Sparrow... the captain shouldn't be long-"

"With all due respect, sir, I think the captain appreciates a man who can handle his own affairs. And I think he would agree that this has little to do him or his coffers," Astraea said curtly.

Deneb loosened his ascot and cleared his throat. "Very well. As you know your tour aboard the Ptolemaios, as well as your apprenticeship with me, has come to an end-"

_Stalling. He's stalling. And he knows it! _Astraea thought vehemently. She cracked her knuckles loudly, leisurely, and squared her neck and shoulders. A tactic she had picked up from her old man.

From the corners of her eye she saw Deneb whiten a fraction of a shade, and the Alponian cross his stubby arms over his chest. Astraea smirked.

"Though your her service has been impeccable,... and your hard work greatly appreciated,"

Astraea fought the urge to snort.

"There's still the matter of the star charts and navigation schematics. As Sailing Master, as stated in our non-disclosure apprenticeship contract, I..the Navy has full commercial and publication rights to those maps."

Astraea's eyes became cold, hard flint.

"Of course, your name with will added as a contributor. A few footnotes perhaps..."

_Footnotes. _Astraea fought to keep her composure, and she could feel her nails through her leather officer's gloves biting into her palm.

_"_There's just the issue of submission... As the fine soldier I know you are, you probably have already submitted the maps to the Cartographer's Commissionary." Deneb paused, and adjusted himself in his chair.

"Yes, sir. I have." Astraea said flatly.

"Right then... What's in question is the manner of those submissions. As you know, they money the Klispians would pay for the mapping of that sector will bring the Royal Navy a large sum of money, as it deserves. It just that you seemed to have accidentally placed the submissions in your name."

"Yes, sir. I used my former student status at the Academy and had them submitted as graduation credentials." The sight of the senior navigator having to pick his mouth off the the floor almost made Astraea spread a cheeky smile.

"You can't...I mean it's stated in the apprenticeship contract that _you _signed, that you gave up all your rights to publication."

"That's correct, but according article forty-six, section nine, paragraph-"

"Eight," the bulky Alponian interjected. Astraea's eyes widened for nano-second. Obviously he has tried to pull this stunt before. "Thank you. Paragraph eight. Any student of the Academy is entitled to eight months of royalty free research and any profit made in turn if in the employment of the Royal Navy. My apprenticeship began two months before our deployment. Which you were commissioned for four months in advanced."

She paused, letting the current information take full affect on the navigator. "In short you hired me in the Navy's steed, and any data gained during the deployment is my sole property."

Deneb jerked to his feet,sending his chair flying over the tile. His friend side stepped as it hit the wall with a crackling bang. "You insubordinate little... That will never stand up in court, and you know it!"

Astraea rose from her seat quietly, calmly, and matched her superior's glare, malice for confidence. "With all due respect, sir. I assure you it will, but you are more than welcomed to take it up with the commissionary and _their_ lawyers. Although, I think they will be less than civil with on handing over very valuable data."

"You better believe I will you little runt. If you thought you had trouble getting commissions now, just wait! I'll make sure you never get another voyage on this side of the galaxy!" He scoffed, prepared a smile a sickening sweetness, and sauntered over to her coldly. "Like anyone would trust, let alone hire, a little, inexperience whelp like yourself anyways. Heck! You only rose far on your father's coattails." That smarted, and he knew it. Astraea adjusted her white justacorp, flattening the wrinkles, and prayed he didn't see her wince.

Heat flushed to her ears as she straightened her back and placed her cap at her side. "Permission to leave, sir," she said slowly hoping her voice didn't crack. She willed her countenance to be a cold and unrelenting soldier's bearing. Deneb glared at her for several long, silent moments, prominently pleased at the effectiveness of his comments. "Permission granted, but don't kid yourself and think this is over."

Astraea saluted hardly, rigidly, and as she marched out of the office she heard a self-satisfied chuckle.

Once she was clear of earshot from any commanding officer, she let out a shaky sigh. "I shouldn't have let him get to me like that."She hated how Deneb remarks had cut her and how he knew it, but what she hated the most was that he was right.

Astraea straightened herself, mentally and physically. She had won out in the end. Deneb would try, but the commissionary would eventually prevail in her favor. She had too many friends and mutually beneficial acquittances among the old cartographers not to.

_Friends that your father gave you. _Astraea could hear Deneb's voice in her head, and she beat it down to a nagging thought in the back of her sub-conscious.

It would be a few months before she saw any royalties, but all that matter was that the data was hers and the whole universe would know it.

"Ash!" A familiar sing-song voice brought Astraea back to the reality of the military compound. She turned just in time to see the warning of long black hair and warm chestnut eyes, before being crushed between a pair of strong brown arms. "Mila!" Astraea could feel her ribs begin compress beneath her best friend's gay strength."Ash, it's been too long! I missed you! I heard that your ship docked, but I didn't expect you to back on Cresentia so soon!"

"Yeah. Wel-" Another sharp application of pressure cut her breath short. "Sixteen months is too long of a voyage! Your holo-vids were too few and far in between. I even think some of mine got lost!."

"Yeah,..well. The mailing system... in deep space can be... a little... tricky."

"Tell me about! We have so much to talk about!" More pressure was added to the increasingly uncomfortable bear hug, and Astraea could swear that her feet weren't on the ground. "That's... nice,... but before... that... can you ease up a bit... I can't breathe."

"Oh. Oh! Of course. I'm sorry!" Astraea took in a controlled gulp of air as her feet came back in contact with the ground. "Thanks," Astraea straightened her clothes, "So how's life outside the Academy, cadet."

"Ensign." Mila corrected.

Astraea raised a brow. _Al lots happened. _"Ensign. Congrats."

"Don't congratulate me, _lieutenant_." That deserved a second raised brow as well as a telling pause.

"You knew?" Mila plastered a cheeky grin. "Of course I know! What graduate hasn't heard! Congratulations!" Mila grabbed her friends by the shoulders and gave her another fierce hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"Mila, you're..." A flash of white hair and tan skin made Astraea lose all train of thought, and chased all color in her features. Vivid green met steely blue as the man Astraea had hoped never to see again sauntered over to her.

_"_Ash. Earth to Ash! What are you looking-," Mila turned around only for her body to go rigid in a perfectly executed salute, "Commander Krios!"

Astraea just managed to pull off an equally impressive salute and steel her countenance.

"As you were, ladies." He flashed both of them a devilishly charming smile, holding a particular long enticing glance to Astraea.

"Astraea." She resisted the urge to shudder.

"Commander," she said evenly.

"I hear that congratulations are in order."

"Thank you, sir." Richard chuckled took severals forward until the commander was only mere inches away from her face. "No need to be so formal, Ash. "

Astraea was silent for several long as she chose her next words very carefully. "I am only giving you proper respect, sir."

Richard let out an exasperated sigh. "I know we parted on less than amicable terms but," the commander moved closer as he reached out to discretely caress her cheek, "I've really missed your company." Astraea jerked her face away from him while suppressing the urge to grimace.

"Stubborn as ever, I see." Astraea allowed a smirk to be her only response. Caleb let a small sigh. "Very well. I'm sure that you two have duties to attend to." He nodded towards Mila. "Ensign Capella, a pleasure as always."

The two ladies saluted their superior as he began to walk away. Astraea nudged Mila forward and away from the barracks.

"Lieutenant!" Astraea turned to meet eyes filled with sincere compassion and regret. "I am truly sorry for what happened, and I'm glad that you're back." Her features soften as she casted downward glance towards the ground. "Me too." Astraea steeled herself as she turned to Mila who flashed her an knowing, sympathetic glance.

"When did he get back?" Astraea said flatly.

"Two months ago from the Perseus Veil." Astraea had to pick her mouth from the floor as she tried to keep her voice low. "That was a two year tour out in deep space. What in blue blazes is he doing back so soon?" Mila shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." Her friend motioned Astraea closer as she kept her voice barely above a whisper. "But scuttlebutt says that all his men have been given gag orders. Something really bad happened out there, Ash, and the brass wants no one to know." Despite her dear friend's dramatics, something truly despairing must have happened for a group of special forces to be sent home, tail between her legs.

"He's been asking about you ever since." The ensign chose her next words very carefully. "Ash I know what happened between you two, but I think you should-"

"I don't want to talk about it," Astraea said harshly, too harshly. "I'm sorry, Mila."

"Forget about it. Hey, let's go out and celebrate. Invite the whole gang. I'm positive everyone excited to see you and share a few drinks at the Cat's Cradle." Astraea's exuberant friend immediately became full of bubbling energy as she grabbed both of Astraea's hands and did everything but jump. "Especially Caleb."

Astraea steeled her expressions and hoped her friend didn't catch the glint of sadness and regret in her eyes. "Ever since we heard the news, he's been dying to see you." The lieutenant casted her eyes to the ground, trying to hide the rain clouds forming in her eyes. Astraea gently pulled her hands away as she put on a masked smiled. "Maybe next time. I should be getting home." Mila gave her friend a disappointed, knowing glance. "Don't do this Ash. They don't car-"

"Give them my regards." She was running, and Astraea knew it, but she couldn't face them. She wasn't sure if she ever could. Before Mila had a chance to protest further, Astraea took a brisk pace down the hall.

"When are you going to forgive yourself?" Mila yelled after her. Astraea did not look back, but still her friend's word rang in her heart.

"Never."


End file.
